There is something that draws us to the Azulina Home collection. The textural mix of cotton, virgin wool and fique fibres creates a sense of calm simplicity that we love to bring to our home. Not to mention, products made in Colombia are near and dear to my heart.
We connected with Melissa Moriarty, founder and designer of Azulina Home, to learn more about her inspiration, what drew her to Colombian crafts and get travel insights for some of Colombia's top destinations!
What inspired you to create Azulina Home?
Azulina actually started out as a ceramics company! Back in 2012 I was working and living in Medellín. My best friend was getting married that spring so I wanted to get her a gift that was uniquely Colombian, which is when I discovered the ceramics-making town of El Carmen de Viboral. I was in complete awe of the artistry and pottery-making tradition. Next thing I knew I was shipping a 20' container of blue and white hand-painted ceramics to the US and that's where Azulina began!
What drew you to Colombia?
As you know, there is something magical about Colombia. Gabriel García Marquez didn't invent magical realism, he just coined the phrase that describes Colombia's magical essence so aptly. I visited on a work trip during the summer of 2011 and fell in love instantly. On a wild hair and with the encouragement of my uncle with whom I was travelling, I decided I would take a job in Medellín working in investor relations for a Canadian mineral exploration company. I spoke fluent Spanish after studying abroad as a foreign exchange student in Argentina in high school, so the lack of a language barrier made the decision feel like a no-brainer. At first, I thought I would take just 6-12 months "off" from my career back home in consulting, but then 1 year quickly turned into 5 years.
Tell us a little bit about the artisans and artisan groups you work with. How do you collaborate with them, how do you select who you work with?
Something that is really important to me is that I personally know who I am working with, and as such, I have met all of our artisans in person. They have all spent decades honing their craft, so when we collaborate we aren't creating something new, we're simply working on a new angle or a new design together that's both appealing to me as a designer, but also functional for our customers. A lot of what we do is simply editing and fine-tuning an already beautifully made product. There's no way I'm going to take credit here - all the beauty and skill already existed before Azulina showed up!
What is the inspiration for your name - Azulina Home?
The origins of the company began with ceramics that were hand-painted in El Carmen de Viboral, just outside of Medellín, Colombia. The town's nickname is La Perla Azulina del Oriente, which is where I got Azulina from. While we no longer dabble in blue ceramics, the name remains the same.
For first-time travellers to Colombia, what are your top recommendation for: place(s) to visit, thing(s) to do, food to try?
I get this question A LOT, as I'm sure you do! If I were to create the perfect trip, it would involve some time visiting coffee farms and riding horseback in Antioquia, a night or two in El Poblado, Medellín, with an obligatory stop at my favorite restaurant Carmen. The next stop would be Bogotá where you need to order chicarrones and lomo al trapo at Andres Carne de Res in Chia, with a mandarino frozen cocktail (just 1, because you're at 8,000+ ft and it'll getcha!). Of course everyone wants to visit Cartagena, but it can be done in a weekend. I prefer smaller boutique hotels where there's a bit more character, like Casa Pestagua or Casa de Alba. My favorite store to visit is Loto del Sur where I stock up on my favorite candles, and the best coffee to take home to friends can be found at Azahar coffee. Music is such a huge part of everyday Colombian culture so Carlos Vives' Gaira in Bogotá is an awesome place to go, as is Cafe Havana in Cartagena!
What inspires you on a daily basis?
I'm going to be frank, I'm not inspired every day! When the inspo hits, it's usually when I'm outside, experiencing a new place or traveling somewhere away from home. I've found that whenever I feel stuck or uninspired, changing perspective always ignites something in me. From taking a walk at Glenstone just outside of DC, to hopping on a plane to literally anywhere, getting out of my house is the precursor to feeling inspired.
What is the one thing you are most proud of accomplishing with Azulina Home?
It took a long time to get the business going. No one ever talks about this or how lonely it can get as a solopreneur (I'm not solo anymore, but I was for a 7+ years!). It's been a grind since 2013 and it's important to me to be transparent about that. So I would say that I'm just so proud that the business is about to hit 10 years and we're finally in a groove. It's been pretty amazing to make it this far and to work with companies I have always had a design crush on, like Restoration Hardware, Jenni Kayne, and Amber Interiors.
What feeling do you hope to embody in your home?
Calm and comfortable. One of my favorite quotes is "have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful" by William Morris.
Any exciting plans in the works for Azulina Home?
My business partner Jeff joined the business in late 2020 and has been instrumental in streamlining our operations and improving our day-to-day management of the business. As a result, it's allowing us to get more product out into the world, which is really tough to do when everything you make is hand-woven. With travel finally opening up again we're excited to begin the process of getting back down to Colombia to meet new artisans and expand the line beyond just our cotton and fique fibers!
Get to know their story, what inspired them to create loom.ist, how they partner with artisans in their home country of Turkey, and what they are most proud of accomplishing thus far.
Also, be sure to enter to our Instagram giveaway for your chance to win two loom.ist throws, a perfect gift for you and yours, and a Kala Home gift card!
What inspired you to create Ark of Crafts and loom.ist?
All pieces are ethically produced from high-quality Turkish cotton, using traditional processing, refining, and looming techniques. The cotton and linen yarns are coloured with environmentally friendly dyes, warped on authentic looms in small ateliers, and woven with great care by small family weavers.
To us, home is our refuge. It's a place for you to recharge, to gather, to love and to enjoy the small happenings of everyday life, which is why we believe in the importance of creating mindful spaces throughout your home. Creating mindful spaces can be done on a large scale, using design and aesthetic choices to inspire a mood - for us, we think of beautiful neutral earthy palettes, bright white and airy rooms, and lots of natural elements - this is what makes us feel our best.
Creating mindful spaces can also be done on a small scale, by incorporating personal items and small details throughout that spark a pause, inspiration and appreciation when noticed. We've compiled a list of ways for you to create mindful spaces in your home, so without further ado:
It's no secret that spending time in nature is a great way of practicing mindfulness. Nature has a way of pulling us in. Take notice next time you catch yourself staring at a sunset, or watching waves roll in.
Incorporating natural materials into your home is a way of bringing in nature's grounding and calming properties. We love using raw materials and textures, from wool rugs and cotton blankets to palm woven baskets. We also love the look and feel of natural wooden elements, especially reclaimed wood, and simple earthy pottery always gets our attention!
One of our favourite DIY projects to date has been our headboard, which is made of reclaimed wood from the Rideau Canal Locks. We love its uniqueness, it's raw feel and the history that comes with the reclaimed materials used.
This Danish practice has gained popularity over the last couple of years, and for good reason! Hygge is about nurturing togetherness, warmth, relaxation, and simple pleasures in our lives.
A simple way to create a welcoming environment is to play on all the senses by adding candles, cozy textures, a warm palette and comfortable furniture to make you and your guest feel right at home.
If you are looking to make your mindfulness practice more of a set daily ritual, we suggest making a dedicated mindful nook or corner.
Whether it's your bedside table with a gratitude journal, a corner of a room that is dedicated to yoga or meditation, a shelf in your kitchen that has all of your favourite cookbooks, or a set space in your bathroom with your favourite bath products. Reflect on what daily activities draw you in and help you pause, and dedicate a space in your home to having the things you love in your nook.
Have you ever wondered what your clothes, sheets, cushions, or blankets are made of? Today, most of our textiles are made of synthetic fibres such as polyester, which is derived from petroleum and the majority of textiles are dyed chemically. This synthetic process makes their creation, use, and disposal very taxing for ourselves and the environment.
In San Juan La Laguna, a small town on the shores of Lake Atitlan, the millennial Mayan tradition of natural textile dyeing and weaving is still widely practiced today and is passed on from generation to generation.
The intricate textile dyeing process involves only natural materials, harvested from the surrounding areas. The base fibre of the textile is organic cotton, which comes naturally in 3 different shades: white, which is used for dyeing, khaki and "ixcaco" brown, pictured below. Once the cotton flowers have been harvested, the flower pods must be de-seeded, joined, and the cotton is spun. Once the cotton thread is spun, the dyeing process can begin.
Artisans use banana leaf as a natural colour stabilizer to help the colour set. To prepare the thread artisans first boil banana tree bark for 2-3 hours and then soak the thread in the liquid.
Next, the dye is prepared using leaves, flowers, bark, and insects, depending on the desired colour. Each plant can create different colours depending on the season, quantity used, the temperature of the soaking water, and time soaked. Sacatinta, the name of the plant found below, which fittingly means "gives dye", can produce up to 10 different colours ranging from pink to blue!
Once the dye is prepared, the thread is soaked or boiled in the dye liquid for the determined amount of time. The thread is then rinsed, and set to dry. This entire process can take upwards of 20 days from harvesting to having the thread ready for weaving into beautiful textiles.
So when was the last time you checked the materials of your products? We dare you to have a look and make your next purchase a conscious one!
]]>Lake Atitlan has it all for those of us who love water, boat rides, stunning natural scenery, small towns, slow living and tropical weather.
We had a fantastic week exploring, soaking up all that the tropical shores of Lago de Atitlan and its charming and unique pueblos (towns) have to offer, meeting with our future artisan partners and learning first hand the sophisticated techniques that will be used to create our products and collections.
We arrived in Panajachel, aka Pana, the main town on the lake and hopped onto a water taxi, the lake's main transportation method, to get to our home and office for the week. We stayed in Maya Moon Lodge in Tz'ununa, the Lake's smallest town, named after the hummingbirds, or Tz'unun in Kaqchiquel language, that frequent its shores.
Lake Atitlan is located in the Highlands of Guatemala and is home to mostly Mayan indigenous people belonging to the Tz'utujil and Kaqchiquel groups. Though located just a few kilometres apart and sharing the same lakeshore, these two groups have distinct languages and customs.
A slow pace of living is the norm here. Strolling through towns you see the women and men dressed in their traditional outfits, on the lake you will often catch men fishing in rustic wooden canoes, and if you get a glimpse inside a home, you can see the Mayan weaving tradition in action.
Besides immersing ourselves into the pace of life here, we got to experience the weaving culture first hand and meet some of our artisan partners on our home visits with our partner organization Maya Traditions.
We visited San Juan La Laguna, a town on the southern shore of the lake, and Chuacruz, a town up in the highlands, where we learnt the intricate processes of natural plant-based dyeing, raw cotton spinning, and back-strap weaving. To say this is an intricate art is an understatement, yet our artisan partners do it with such masterful ease that they make it look easy!
The rest of the week was spent exploring the other lakeside towns, visiting the busy town markets, and meeting with our partner organizations and co-operatives to view textile samples, colours, and designs!
All-in-all the week was outstanding, but by far our favourite moments were spent meeting and getting to know some of the artisans we will be working with, and learning from them their craft.
Stay in touch with us by following along on Instagram, and subscribe to our newsletter to have first access to our collection coming this fall. Trust us, you won't want to miss it!
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SAN JUAN LA LAGUNA: Our personal favourite! San Juan is a beautiful, colourful town full of local artists and artisans specializing in natural textile dyes and paintings.
SAN PEDRO LA LAGUNA: Lots of restaurant options and nightlife.
SAN MARCOS LA LAGUNA: Hippie town full of yoga studios, natural healing sanctuaries and tasty organic food.
SANTIAGO: The biggest town on the lake. Santiago and its residents are preserving the local Tz'utujil indigenous culture and identity.
PANAJACHEL: A great place to begin and end your adventures on the lake as it's the local transportation hub. It is also a great place to buy souvenirs and artisanal products. Be sure to check out the great coffee shops along the main street.
ARTISAN CO-OPERATIVES IN SAN JUAN LA LAGUNA
PANAJACHEL TEXTILE MARKET - TUESDAY AND FRIDAY
TOUR TO CHICHICASTENANGO MARKET - THE LARGEST IN CENTRAL AMERICA! - THURSDAYS AND SUNDAYS
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Planning a trip to Lake Atitlan? Drop us a comment below if you have any questions or would like recommendations!
]]>Our journey began in Antigua, Guatemala. Located just outside of Guatemala City, this beautiful colonial town, formally the capital is chock-full of history, colour, and character. Today, Antigua is a lively tourist hub for both visitors and locals alike.
We spent our days here walking down the cobblestone streets, soaking up the warm weather, admiring the breathtaking lush volcanic scenery, and exploring the many markets, colonial buildings, countless churches, ruins, restaurants and boutiques.
Some of our favourite places to visit were the local Artisan Market and a co-operative called Nim Po't, both filled to the brim with amazing woven textiles - precisely what we came to Guatemala to learn about and see!
Textiles are of significant cultural importance for indigenous Mayan people, and the traditional woven outfits are still worn with pride to this day by the majority of indigenous women, and some men, particularly in the highlands of Guatemala where there is a larger Mayan population.
The traditional outfit for women consists of a Huipil (a handwoven and colourfully embroidered tunic top) a Corte (a wrap skirt made with dyed foot-loom fabric) a Faja (an intricately embroidered belt), and a Tocoyal or headpiece. What is most amazing about this on-going tradition, is that each community in Guatemala has a distinct pattern and style of traditional dress, which is recognizable by others. These regional patterns go back to colonial times and are distinct based on the ethnic group, region, and social standing.
Today, textiles are both used for traditional purposes, as well as modern applications. Walking down the streets and markets you will see the beautiful textile patterns on bags, footwear, and home furnishings.
All-in-all our stay in Antigua was amazing, and we would highly recommend this colourful destination for your next adventure! Antigua is filled with cultural points of interest, amazing restaurants, bars, hotels and boutiques. It is also a great hub for transportation to get to other locations in Guatemala and it is the perfect starting point for a trek to the surrounding volcanoes, which can all be arranged by one of the many travel agencies in town.
Now we're onto the tropical shores of Lake Atitlan! Stay in touch with us and follow us along on Instagram, and subscribe to our newsletter to have first access to our first collection coming this fall. Trust us, you won't want to miss it!
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So many! We would recommend walking your way through the entire central hub which spans about 10 blocks in either direction.
Artisan Market & Nim P'ot
Rainbow Cafe (amazing for breakfast)
Tacool (great authentic tacos and Mexican food)
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Planning a trip to Antigua? Drop us a comment below if you have any questions or would like recommendations.
]]>And so our Kala Collective Journey begins.
It seems like a dream to be arriving in Guatemala to embark on a sourcing trip. Kala Collective has been secretly brewing in our minds for years. What started as a small idea and a desire to bring people of different cultures together, connecting to each other, learning from one another, and re-connecting to a slower pace of life, has slowly transformed into our vision for Kala Collective today.
Throughout the past few years, we dreamed of this day, the day where we could begin our own business, travel and explore different corners of the world, and set forth in making it happen for the greater good of all of those we work with.
We will be travelling through Guatemala and Mexico for the next month, meeting our future artisan partners, getting inspired by all that is around us; the rich cultures, and timeless Mayan traditions that are still very much alive and present, and the beautiful natural sceneries that these regions are known for.
We could not be more excited and grateful to have this opportunity, and we are thrilled to see where it all takes us. Most of all, we are thrilled to be able to share this experience with you!
Stay in touch with us and follow us along on Instagram, and subscribe to our newsletter to have first access to our first collection coming this fall. Trust us, you won't want to miss it!
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